Ice-making apparatus.



A. M. FOWLER. ICE MAKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, ms.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

. 8 a Q w W ALBERT IVIUDGE FOWLER, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ICE-MAKING APPARATUS.

isoreso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, Hits.

Application filed March 21, 1918. Serial No. 223,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT Moose Fowdistilled water, my object being the provision of a novel and simple arrangement which will avoid the bulky attachments now in use requiring constant attendance, and which will bring about more satisfactory and effective results.

In the manufacture of can ice from raw or undistilled water, the method usually employed is to agitate the water in the cans by means of an air tube extending well toward the bottom of the can and attached at the top to a system of air distributing pipes by a short length of rubber tubing and the like.

Air is supplied to these pipes at a pres sure of from three to five pounds per square inch, and the air bubbles rising to the top of the water have a tendency to cause more or less violent agitation of the waterbeing frozen with the result that the face of the ice as it forms, freezing from the outside toward the center will be freed from air bubbles, impurities, matters held in suspension, and the like, concentrating these undesirable particles into a core at the center of the cake, which is drawn out when the cake is nearly frozen, the cavity being then filled with clean and generally distilled water, so that when it is frozen, the result will be a cake of clear, merchantable ice.

There are a number of objections to this method, one of which is the liability of the tubes freezing into the ice cake and another is the amount of labor the usual method requires and the constant watchfulness neces sary to adjust and remove the pipes at the proper times. The chief objection, however, is that after the core is drawn and the cavity refilled, it is impossible to agitate the water with which the cavity is filled without attaching another shorter drop pipe, and the result of this is that almost the entire refill will freeze white, leaving a very large and objectionable white center in the cake.

My invention aims to avoid the use of drop pipes which it is necessary, as above stated to extend almost to the bottom of the can, and to provide for more effective results, as well as for the agitation of what I have above termed as'the refill, by the use of an air induced siphon jet, which may be located wholly within the upper central region of the can and need not be withdrawn until the refill is almost completely frozen, which will cause and maintain a constant circulation of the fluid throughout the entire area of the can in its operation.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my present invention and forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through an ice forming can, showing the ice cake partly formed and illustrating the application of my invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the upper central portion of the can and through my improved jet member, and,

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section taker substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to these figures, I show an ice forming can at 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, the ice forming liquor of which appears at 11, and the partly formed ice cake at 12. Theupper end of the can receives a top 13 centrally apertured for the extension of an air supply pipe 141, so that the latter may extend downwardly into the can, the outer end of this pipe connecting by any suitable means, as for instance a flexible tube 15, to any suitable source of compressed air sup ply. The pipe L1- is adjustably held in connection with the can top 13, by a clamp 16, most plainly seen in Fig. 3, so that the jetting member generally indicated at 17. in Fig. 1, may be projected more or less below the normal level of the fluid within the can, although it is to be noted at this point that the said jetting member is located wholly within the upper central region of the can.

The inner end of the pipe 14 directly connects to and communicates with an air nozzle 18, the latter of which is projected axially and in spaced relation within a tubular casing 19, the upper intake end of which surmounts the lower or inner end of the pipe 14, and is substantially of the bell shape shown in Fig. 2. The lower discharge end of this casing 19 projects below and beyond the discharge end of the air nozzle 18, so that when the action of the latter fluid is drawn downwardly, through the upper bell shaped open end of the casing 19 and discharged from the lower end of the latter, suflicient air pressure is admitted to the nozzle 18 to bring this action about.

In this way I am enabled to provide a means located wholly in the upper central region of the can for causing a complete circulation of the ice forming fluid through out the entire can, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, so as to avoid the extension of an air inlet pipe to a point near the bottom of the can, as usual, and at the same time bring about more effective results, particularly in view of the fact that it need only be withdrawn when the refill, as above described, is almost entirely frozen.

In order to heighten the effect of the jet discharge from the lower end of the casing 19, the latter may have internal spirally arranged ribsor vanes, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 2, which will promote a whirling motion to the water and air discharged from the casing.

I claim 1. The combination with an ice forming container, of means for causing complete circulation of the fluid within the container consisting of an air and water jetting member located wholly within the upper central region of the tank and having an air supply pipe, an air nozzle connected to the supply pipe, and a casing surrounding the nozzle in fixed spaced relation, the upper end of which casing is enlarged to form a liquid intake, and the lower discharge end of which projects beyond the discharge end of the said air nozzle.

2. The combination with an ice forming container, of means for causing complete circulation of the fluid within the container consisting of an air and water jetting member located wholly within the upper central. region of the tank and having an air supply pipe, an air nozzle connected to the supply pipe, a casing surrounding the nozzle in fixed spaced relation, the upper end of which casing is enlarged to form a liquid intake, and the lower discharge end of which projects beyond the discharge end of the said air nozzle, and is provided with internal means for causing whirling motion of the stream of water and air discharged therefrom.

3. The combination with an ice forming container, of means for causing complete circulation of the fluid within the container consisting of an air and water jetting member located wholly within the upper central region of the tank and having an air sup ply pipe, an air nozzle connected to the supply pipe, a casing surrounding the nozzle in fixed spaced relation, the upper end of which casing is enlarged to form a liquid intake, and the lower discharge end of which projects beyond the discharge end of the said air nozzle, and is provided withinternal spiral vanes, for the purpose described.

4. The combination with an ice forming can having a centrally apertured top, an air supply pipe extending downwardly through the said top, a clamping member engaging the pipe and the can top to adj ustably secure the former in connection with the latter, and an air actuated water jetting member at the inner end of the said air pipe, located wholly within the upper central region of the can for the purpose described' ALBERT MUDGE FOWLER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR J. WILLIAMs, FRANK J. HIBBS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

